Process of making nitrogenous compounds.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMA B. ALLEN, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, AS SIGNORTO THE CARBOBUN- DUN COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

VANIA.

PROCESS OF MAKING 'NITROGENOUS COMPOUNDS.

1,093,819. Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

'1'0 all who) it In 113 mare/11 Be it known that I, THOMAS B. ALLEN, of Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a Process of Making Nitrogeneous Compounds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has relationto a process of ma king nitrogeneous compounds, which have many valuable properties.

A large number of processes have been described, which have for their object the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by chemical means. For this purpose it has been proposed to use such substances as titanium, silicon, boron, calcium, and aluminum, using either the elements, or alloys or compounds of these elements.

The process usually consists in passing a urrent of nitrogen through, or over, the heated element. The nitrogen is formed either by the fractional distillation of liquid air, or, by passing air over heated copper. The nitrogeneous compounds prepared in this manner can be used for forming ammonia, and other valuable purposes.

On examination of the elements which readily form nitrogeneous compounds, it is seen that they are elements whose carbids are easier to prepare, and cheaper to produce than the elements themselves. This is true of silicon, titanium, calcium, boron, aluminum, and other elements.

I have discovered that nitrogeneous compounds can be made, if silicon carbid, and a metal be heated in contact with nitrogen.

I will now describe a method of carrying out my invention using carbid of silicon as the carbid and iron as a. suitable metal to react therewith :I take a mixture of finely divided silicon carbid and iron-for example: a mixture of 85% silicon carbid, and 15% iron, and place this mixture in a suitable furnace, and heat it in contact with nitrogen. A furnace suitable for this opera- .tion is a retort having a convenient connection, so that nitrogen can be introduced into the retort as it is absorbed by the reaction.

I heat the mixture to such a temperature that it reacts to form a fritted mass, WhlCll state is favorable to the formation of the nitrogeneous com ounds in using this method. In practice, I ave found it preferable to use a temperature of from 1200 to 1800 C. I have also discovered that I may effect the Application filed November 9, 1910. Serial No. 591.496.

same result in a slightly. different manner,

suitable vessel, and melt it by any convenient source of heat, and when the iron is in the molten condition, I incorporate silicon cal-bid in it, and then pass nitrogen through the molten mass. I may also pass a mixture of nitrogen, and silicon carbid through the molten mass of iron. When formed in this manner the nitrogeneous product floats to the surface of the bath, and may be tapped off or otherwise removed from the bath. The product obtained is an amorphous grayish material which reacts with alkalis, or other alkaline material to form ammonia.

I am not altogether familiar with the chemical nature of the reaction involved in the process, but believe that nitrids, and carbo-nitrids of silicon are formed; and in this specification, and in the following claims, I wish to include these substances under the name of nitrogeneous compounds. Substantially the same method is practised when the ca-rbid of some other element than silicon is employed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the described method can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Thus it can be carried out in any suitable retort or furnace, the nitrogen can be supplied indifferent ways; other metals than iron may be employed such as copper, nickel, cobalt, chromium and manganese, and various other changes made.

I claim:

1. The process of forming nitrogeneous compounds which consists in heating silicon carbid, and a metal, with substantially pure nitrogen.

2. The process of forming nitrogeneous compounds which consists in passing substantially pure nitrogen into contact with a molten metal containin silicon carbid.

3. The process of orming nitrogeneous compounds which consists in heating silicon carbid and iron with substantially pure nitrogen.

4. The process of forming nitrogeneous compounds, which consists in passing substantially pure nitrogen in contact with molten iron containing silicon carbid.

5. The process of forming nitrogeneous compounds which consists in, causing silicon carbid to react with a metal, and causing the reaction-product. carbid directly in the molten iron, and pass- 6. The process of forming nitrogeneous ing nitrogen in contact with the molten bath. compounds, which consists in addin a car- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 5 bid of an element/to iron and disso ving it my hand.

directly in the molten iron, and passing 'ni- THOS. B. ALLEN. trogen in contact with the molten bath. Witnesses:

7. The process of forming nitrogeneous GEORGE W. CHORMANN, compounds, which consists in adding a S111- substantially pure nitrogen to combine with I con carbid to iron and dissolving the silicon 10 i i L. B. COULTER. 

